Weakened Manchester United survives Middlesbrough fightback

A weakened Manchester United team survived a late fightback from managerless Middlesbrough to win 3-1 on Sunday and climb out of sixth place in the Premier League for the first time in 19 weeks.

March 19, 2017

MIDDLESBROUGH, England (AP) — A weakened Manchester United team survived a late fightback from managerless Middlesbrough to win 3-1 on Sunday and climb out of sixth place in the Premier League for the first time in 19 weeks.

Playing its third game in less than seven days, United looked like easing to victory after goals by Marouane Fellaini and Jesse Lingard put the visitors 2-0 up by the 62nd minute.

Middlesbrough, which fired manager Aitor Karanka on Thursday, dominated the final half-hour and reduced the deficit in the 77th when Rudy Gestede took advantage of defensive errors to score from close range.

United held out despite late pressure and added a third in the third minute of injury time when Middlesbrough goalkeeper Victor Valdes — a former United player — slipped as he was about to make a clearance, allowing Antonio Valencia to walk the ball into the net.

United moved above Arsenal into fifth place.

United manager Jose Mourinho was without suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ander Herrera, while Paul Pogba was injured and Henrikh Mkhitaryan was only on the substitutes' bench.

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